The WAC Files

Human Resources Management: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

  

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What differentiates a good HR department from a not-so-good HR department? I asked Arlie Skory, Human Resources Specialist from Skory Employer Solutions, what she thought were the keys to a successful Human Resources Management Department in an organization.

Arlie suggested that developing the art of compromise was one of the most critical skills a Human Resource Manager  could develop. "As an HR professional, your responsibilities span many areas in the corporation. Representing management and employees naturally leads to situations where this skill comes into play." Employees need to make sure that their colleagues in other disciplines respect their point of view, but know that the best decision for an organization may involve a compromise between many disciplines for the best functioning organization.

"Businesses need a partner, not an iconoclast in the role of an "enforcer".  Be an advocate and advisor for your discipline, but remain a part of the team" said Arlie Skory.

I did a little more research on successful HR departments, and found some great insight in The HR Daily Advisor . In one of their blog posts they outlined nine skills they felt were essential skills an HR manager must have to be successful on the job.

Here is a summary of the Human Resource Manager's skills for success:

Organization - Human Resources management requires an orderly approach.

Multitasking - Priorities and business needs move fast and change fast. You must be able to handle it all, all at once.

Discretion and Business Ethics - Human Resources professionals are the conscience of the company, as well as the keepers of confidential information. As you serve the needs of top management, you also monitor officers’ approaches to employees to ensure proper ethics are observed.

Dual Focus - HR professionals need to consider the needs of both employees and management.

Employee Trust - Employees expect Human Resources professionals to advocate for their concerns, yet you must also enforce top management’s policies.

Fairness - Successful HR professionals demonstrate fairness. This means that communication is clear, that peoples’ voices are heard, that laws and policies are followed, and that privacy and respect is maintained.

Dedication to Continuous Improvement - HR professionals need to help managers coach and develop their employees. The goal is continued improvement and innovation as well as remediation.

Strategic Orientation - Forward-thinking HR professionals take a leadership role and influence management’s strategic path.

Team Orientation - HR managers must understand team dynamics and find ways to bring disparate personalities together and make the team work.

In my opinion good communication skills and being transparent in your interactions will build trust among employees and prove to be an important key to success in any department in the organization.

Now that we have discussed skills for success in an HR Department lets take a look at a few telltale signs of Bad HR department practices

• Gossiping - Since the HR department has access to employees' personal information, it is important to maintain an atmosphere of confidentiality and trust in the HR department. Gossiping about personal employee information will be the fastest way to break employee trust.
• Not creating clear policies - This is where an employee handbook comes 'handy'. Failure to provide clear policies for employees will create a lot of confusion and miscommunication between employer and employees.
• Playing Favorites - This speaks for itself. Once again employee trust will be broken and the HR Manager's role will be greatlay diminished.
• Too many rules - While it is good to have clear policies and procedures, the flip side is having too many rules which can make employees feel restricted.
• Shyness to obtain feedback: Unless management is prepared to receive and analyze employees' feed back, the end-result could be lower productivity and increasing disharmony.

Are you an HR Manager? What would you add as a key to success or failure for the HR Manager or the HR Department? To sign up for more HR news, articles or webinars please join our mailing list.